Teaching with videogames: building a better society with 'Sid Meier's Civilisation VI'
What would you do differently if you were in charge of a developing nation?
Sid Meier's Civilisation VI gives students the opportunity to build a city, and consider decisions that people throughout history have made with reference to environment, economies, conflict, technologies and civics.
Content note: this game makes reference to "settling", Barbarians and war. We recommend using this lesson plan in the context of broader teaching about colonisation, with sensitivity to the experiences of First Nations peoples.
Year level: 7 & 8
Subject areas: Geography, history, humanities
Suggested duration: 1 lesson
Technology required:
- licences for Sid Meier's Civilisation VI, $89.95 or cheaper during sales. Ideally enough licences for groups of 4-5 students
- ability to watch an introductory video together on YouTube
Download the full lesson plan
The lesson plan includes links to the Victorian Curriculum, indications of lesson timing, and ideas for differentiation and assessment.
In this lesson, students will
| 1. | Watch excerpts and play Sid Meier's Civilisation VI |
| 2. | Make choices about where to build a city, weighing natural advantages like access to water, crops suitability, natural resources |
| 3. | Consider ancient civilisations and their city building decisions |
| 4. | Critically assess decisions of nation builders |
By the end of this lesson, students should
| major time periods in history and how societies progressed over time |
| describe elements that helped civilisations to thrive |
| their historical analysis skills by being able to critically assess choices made by nation leaders and the possible motivations behind them |